Mamata Banerjee speaks with protesting farmers lending support to farmers' protest

Banerjee has also sent Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien to the protest site as an emissary of her party Trinamool Congress.

"Mamata Banerjee spoke to the farmers and the talks are still going on. She has given full support to the farmers' protest. She wants the protest to spread across the nation," Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said.

Banerjee tweeted on Thursday, "I am very much concerned about the farmers, their lives and livelihood. GOI must withdraw the anti-farmer bills. If they do not do so immediately we will agitate throughout the state and the country. From the very start, we have been strongly opposing these anti-farmer bills."

However, CPI-M, which leads the Left Front, has taken a dig at Banerjee over her support to the farmers.  

CPI-M leader Md. Salim said, "It took Mamata Banerjee 9 days to get "concerned" about farmers. Our comrades in Bengal were subjected to police brutality for protesting against farm bills. What Modi does in Delhi, Didi does the same in Bengal. It's not too late, merge TMC with BJP."

Incidentally, the Trinamool supremo spoke to the farmers on a day she had begun fast protesting against the acquisition of farmers' land in West Bengal's Singur in 2006 during the Left Front regime.

The seven-hour meeting between the farmers and the Centre on Thursday failed to end the impasse over the farm laws, with farmers' representatives stating that they are sticking to their demands which includes the repeal of the contentious farm laws.

Union Minister Narendra Tomar, who led the negotiations, said the government "has no ego".

The next meeting will be held on Saturday.

"The government will consider giving more legal rights to farmers. MSP will continue, we have assured farmers of MSP," Union minister Narendra Tomar told reporters after the meeting.